EnvironmentNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Environment newsNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94EnvironmentWed, 28 Jun 2017 18:39:57 +0000Environmenthttp://wbaa.org
Nick JanzenThe U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is moving forward with a plan to demolish East Chicago’s lead-contaminated West Calumet Housing Complex. Residents had many questions and received few answers at a tense public meeting about the environmental review of the plan Monday night. The city of East Chicago finished relocating more than 1,000 housing complex residents this spring. Officials plan to demolish the complex’s buildings later this year. HUD must first sign off. But residents expressed concern that demolition will unearth more toxic soil, spread contaminated dust, pollute groundwater, or harm nearby residents or workers on site. Recently relocated West Calumet resident Tara Adams is one of many who urged the agency to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement. “What are your response actions? she asked HUD officials at the hearing. First you’re going to do A, first you’re going to do B – I need to know details, not just your word.” Many residents were annoyedHUD Fields Demolition Concerns From Frustrated East Chicago Localshttp://wbaa.org/post/hud-fields-demolition-concerns-frustrated-east-chicago-locals
147341 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 27 Jun 2017 04:00:31 +0000HUD Fields Demolition Concerns From Frustrated East Chicago LocalsAnnie RopeikFederal housing officials will hold a public hearing Monday night on plans to tear down a lead-contaminated public housing complex in East Chicago. The demolition plan got federal environmental approval last month, but residents want a chance to raise concerns. Residents from the West Calumet Housing Complex area wrote to the Department of Housing and Urban Development this month. They asked for a public hearing and more time to comment on the demolition plan. That was after HUD issued its environmental assessment , which says the demolition will have an impact, but is necessary to protect human health. The federal agency said it would be able to offset the disturbance of toxic soil during demolition. After that, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to clean the area to a residential standard – though the city of East Chicago hasnt decided on a future use for the land. HUD officials have said they dont expect itll be public housing. But residents and their lawyers worry demolitionFeds To Hold Hearing On Lead-Contaminated Housing Demolitionhttp://wbaa.org/post/feds-hold-hearing-lead-contaminated-housing-demolition
147312 as http://wbaa.orgFri, 23 Jun 2017 15:47:34 +0000Feds To Hold Hearing On Lead-Contaminated Housing DemolitionStan JastrzebskiWest Lafayette Mayor John Dennis has joined a growing group of municipal leaders opposed to Donald Trump’s removal of the United States from the Paris Climate Accord. Dennis says he has joined a group of more than 200 so-called “Climate Mayors” nationwide, who’ve pledged their cities will uphold environmental regulations, even as the President seeks to escape them. Dennis says he disagrees with assertions from Trump and many other Republicans that environmental rules are job-killers. “You know, one of the biggest challenges that we have as local mayors – and one of the issues that keeps us up at night – is trying to make sure that we have a ready workforce for all the jobs that are being created nowadays," Dennis says. "And that, to me, is the big issue.” He says he doesn't think his decision will dissuade companies from investing in West Lafayette. “If people are interested in West Lafayette as a place to invest, they’re obviously interested for a lot more reasons than something thatWest Lafayette's Dennis Joins 'Climate Mayors' Group Opposed To Trumphttp://wbaa.org/post/west-lafayettes-dennis-joins-climate-mayors-group-opposed-trump
146016 as http://wbaa.orgFri, 09 Jun 2017 15:07:28 +0000West Lafayette's Dennis Joins 'Climate Mayors' Group Opposed To TrumpNick JanzenPresident Donald Trump called the Paris climate accord “draconian” and “onerous” when he announced the U.S. would withdraw from the agreement, but the decision’s benefits to Indiana’s energy landscape are unclear. Countries plan for themselves how to make the effects of climate change less severe under the Paris climate agreement. Generally, countries can adopt renewable energy sources, limit carbon emissions, or do both. The agreement doesn’t really impact the country’s electric utilities, which are already working to reduce carbon emissions, says Mark Maassel, president of the Indiana Energy Association, “simply because the cost of natural gas is low, the cost of wind and solar are now very competitive.” The Paris agreement’s main goal limits the global rise in temperature to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Maassel says how the U.S. reaches that goal is more important than the goal itself. “And in particular, for the electric utility industry,Hoosiers Split On Trump Decision To Abandon Paris Climate Accordhttp://wbaa.org/post/hoosiers-split-trump-decision-abandon-paris-climate-accord
145759 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 06 Jun 2017 17:54:09 +0000Hoosiers Split On Trump Decision To Abandon Paris Climate AccordCharlotte TuggleA Purdue University study has found a popular type of pesticide – found across nearly half the state -- can be lethal to honeybees . But a leading producer of the chemicals is striking back against those claims. Neonicotinoid insecticides are used in planting corn crops, and the study says more than 94-percent of honey bees are at risk of exposure in the state. Purdue agricultural economist Ken Foster says planting technology, such as a machine that spits seeds into the soil, can contribute to the problem. “When they blow that seed, it creates an aerosol in the air,” he says. “And some of the neonicotinoid insecticide gets airborne, floats over to the edge of the field, lands on some dandelion or clover or something where the bees are at. That’s where we see pesticide damage to the honeybee colonies.” Foster – whose family has kept bees for decades -- says insecticides have been an ongoing threat to the bee population. He says if the population decline isn’t curbed, the Indiana fruitPurdue Study: Bee Wary -- Corn Insecticide Could Be A Buzz Killhttp://wbaa.org/post/purdue-study-bee-wary-corn-insecticide-could-be-buzz-kill
144759 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 23 May 2017 20:22:30 +0000Purdue Study: Bee Wary -- Corn Insecticide Could Be A Buzz KillAnnie RopeikIndianas corn and soybean growers are getting seeds in the ground this week – but more rain on the way could put farmers in a difficult position. As of Monday , 56 percent of the states projected corn crop and 23 percent of the projected soybean crop have been planted. Purdue University soil compaction expert Gary Steinhardt, who studies how wet or unhealthy soil packs down and keeps nutrients, water and roots from moving, says heavy rain causes problems for farmers whove overworked their soil or driven on it too much. Then there are parts of the field that wont drain very well because, historically, theyve been compacted, Steinhardt says. I had a plot one time where wed intentionally compacted a plot right over a tile line [which helps fields drain], and it held water just like a bathtub. He says Indianas soil wants to hold about 10 inches of water at a time, with an additional 10 inches needed for a good planting season. Southwestern Indiana saw 10 inches of rainfall at the end ofMore Rain Could Sow Trouble For Late Corn, Soybean Plantershttp://wbaa.org/post/more-rain-could-sow-trouble-late-corn-soybean-planters
144312 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 17 May 2017 21:31:08 +0000More Rain Could Sow Trouble For Late Corn, Soybean PlantersDrew DaudelinEnvironmental group leaders spoke Tuesday to protest the Trump administration’s proposed cut in EPA funding. They highlighted the EPA’s role in hazardous waste removal. The Trump administration proposes reducing EPA funding in 2018 by 31 percent – the largest proposed cut of any Cabinet departments or major agency. Indra Frank, policy director at the Hoosier Environmental Council, spoke Tuesday in front of the Williamson industrial site in downtown Indianapolis. The building was abandoned one year ago, full of leftover toxic waste. Frank says the state couldn’t afford to clean the site, but the EPA quickly began an emergency waste removal, and can cover the cost – an estimated $1.8 million. “It’s just an example of how EPA dollars are beneficial to the community, and we don’t always see exactly how that’s going about,” Frank says. “There are hundreds of sites across Indiana that need cleanup.” Frank says the proposed budget would cut emergency cleanups like this by 17 percent. In aOutside Toxic Indy Site, Environmental Groups Protest Proposed EPA Cutshttp://wbaa.org/post/outside-toxic-indy-site-environmental-groups-protest-proposed-epa-cuts
144259 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 17 May 2017 15:34:25 +0000Outside Toxic Indy Site, Environmental Groups Protest Proposed EPA CutsStan JastrzebskiAt least one Indiana water company is warning its customers to be mindful of the chemicals they put on their lawns. Indiana American Water issued a press release saying recent heavy rains have made it more likely that pesticides and other chemicals would flow from urban lawns into municipal sewer systems. Once they get there, Office of the Indiana State Chemist pesticide administrator David Scott says they can be hard to treat – especially if the chemicals dissolve during heavy rains like Indiana has seen in recent weeks. Scott admits farms are also a source of toxic runoff, and says he can’t say whether urban or rural land creates more pollution. But he says if lawn care companies are careless, they pose a significant threat. “If you’re going to leave pesticides or fertilizers on hard surfaces in urban areas, I think that has a larger potential of having materials go directly into the stormwater,” Scott says. Scott says the Environmental Protection Agency mandates training for theHeavy Rains Cause Chemical Runoff Worries For Water Companieshttp://wbaa.org/post/heavy-rains-cause-chemical-runoff-worries-water-companies
144125 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 15 May 2017 21:24:07 +0000Heavy Rains Cause Chemical Runoff Worries For Water CompaniesStan JastrzebskiNational Weather Service officials say all the rain clouds this month may hold a silver lining for Indiana. NWS hydrologist Al Shipe says this year was shaping up similarly to the most recent drought year of 2012 – until recently. “This was the second-warmest start of the year to the record warm year of 2012," Shipe says. "Starting in early May of 2012, it got warmer and drier. This year, it got cooler and wetter.” Shipe says that means it’s likely the state has at least forestalled, if not escaped, the possibility of a drought this year. However, he says Southwest Indiana is bearing the brunt of the recent rainfall, because land downstream from the state’s major rivers cannot absorb any more rainwater. In northern parts of the state, such as around Lafayette, Shipe says smaller streams pose the greatest threat. He says isolated heavy rainfall has meant a boom-and-bust cycle for tributaries of the Wabash River, which have seen low-flow and flood conditions alternate in recent weeks.Recent Rains Lift Some Spirits, Dampen Othershttp://wbaa.org/post/recent-rains-lift-some-spirits-dampen-others
143638 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 09 May 2017 19:30:47 +0000Recent Rains Lift Some Spirits, Dampen OthersNick JanzenKeesha Daniels just moved from one lead contaminated neighborhood to another. Both her new house and her old West Calumet Housing Complex apartment sit within East Chicago’s USS Lead Superfund site. The city is tearing down her old home because of extremely high levels of lead in the soil. So she had to move. Daniels is still unpacking. Most rooms have a pile of boxes stacked tidily in a corner. Two heavy dressers sit in one otherwise empty room — her sons are coming later to move them. As Daniels takes me on a tour of her new house, she offers me some water. “It’s bottled water,” she says with a laugh. A water filter hangs pointedly from her kitchen faucet. Despite progress at the state and federal levels, many East Chicago residents, such as Daniels, are frustrated with the public officials in charge of cleaning up the lead contaminated neighborhood. The Environmental Protection Agency told Daniels and her sons that her new front yard is lead free. The government offered to move theEast Chicago Residents 'Worried About Everything' Despite Progresshttp://wbaa.org/post/east-chicago-residents-worried-about-everything-despite-progress
143399 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 08 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000East Chicago Residents 'Worried About Everything' Despite ProgressEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt made his first visit to a Superfund site Wednesday, meeting in East Chicago with lawmakers and residents affected by lead contamination. Pruitt made a short statement outside a shuttered elementary school in the USS Lead Superfund, after a closed briefing with Gov. Eric Holcomb, state and federal lawmakers, and local officials. “And the reason I’m here is because it’s important that we restore confidence for the people here in this community, that we’re gonna get it right going forward,” Pruitt says. Pruitt didn’t elaborate on the “concrete steps” officials discussed to restore that confidence. But Robert Kaplan, head of the EPA’s regional office, told reporters the agency is working to speed up excavation of contaminated yards and expand drinking water lead testing – initiatives he says were Pruitt’s idea. “And I know for a fact that his very first Superfund briefing was East Chicago, and at the end of the briefing heEPA Administrator Visits East Chicago As NAACP Demands More Helphttp://wbaa.org/post/epa-administrator-visits-east-chicago-naacp-demands-more-help
142055 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 19 Apr 2017 23:19:00 +0000EPA Administrator Visits East Chicago As NAACP Demands More HelpNick JanzenLake Station, Indiana, is treading water. “We have no money whatsoever in this city,” says Bill Carrol, who manages the Ace Hardware in town. Lake Station’s operating budget is $2 million overdrawn. Because of the city’s debt, the state is forcing budget cuts. So, Lake Station is considering selling its drinking water utility to a private company, Indiana American Water. Indiana faces up to an $8.5 billion funding gap for water and wastewater infrastructure over the next 20 years. Some communities, like Lake Station, are setting off those costs by selling their drinking water systems to private companies. Bill Carroll says the city’s situation is so bad, it’s in danger of not being able to fund the police department. It has bad roads and bad water. “We have no money to fix that, we have no money to fix, you know, our dump trucks, we have no money to fix anything. We don’t even have enough money to have Christmas decorations, you know, put on down Central Avenue,” says Carroll. TheIndiana Town Considers Water Utility Salehttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-town-considers-water-utility-sale
142027 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 19 Apr 2017 11:10:50 +0000Indiana Town Considers Water Utility SaleAnnie RopeikThe Environmental Protection Agency and East Chicagos mayor remain at a standstill over the future of a lead-contaminated public housing complex. After Mayor Anthony Copeland doubled down on his insistence that the EPA clean West Calumet Housing Complex to a residential standard, the EPA has maintained it cant move forward with cleanup until it gets more information from the city. The EPA has different cleanup standards for different land uses, so it always planned to return the contaminated West Calumet Housing Complex to a residential standard. But it made those plans before Mayor Anthony Copeland ordered the complex torn down last July. Now, the EPA says it doesnt know for sure that the land will be used for housing. It wants a redevelopment plan from Copeland before it proceeds, and it’s repeatedly asked him to write one. But Copeland says he doesnt need to do so – because the EPA agreed to use a residential standard in its 2014 consent decree with the companies paying for theEPA, East Chicago Remain In Gridlock Over West Calumet Planhttp://wbaa.org/post/epa-east-chicago-remain-gridlock-over-west-calumet-plan
141448 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 11 Apr 2017 21:10:52 +0000EPA, East Chicago Remain In Gridlock Over West Calumet PlanNick JanzenA bill overhauling Indiana’s net metering policy is heading to Gov. Eric Holcomb for final approval. Senate Bill 309 passed the House 56-43 on April 4 after a contentious floor debate where supporters and opponents of the bill both said they have the solar industry’s best interests in mind. The bill garnered a remarkable amount of public testimony this session, more than 15 hours all together, with Republican and Democratic lawmakers filing dozens of amendments. The comprehensive energy legislation covers a lot of different issues, from agricultural biomass production to cogeneration, but the controversy is net metering. Currently, more than 1,000 Hoosiers participate in net metering. The system allows anyone — homeowners, churches, schools, businesses — with a solar panel or wind turbine to receive a financial credit on their utility bill for sending excess energy back to the electric grid. On a rainy March day, Eric Hesher, president of Renewable Energy Systems in Avilla, Indiana,As Both Sides Defend Solar, Divisive Net Metering Bill Advanceshttp://wbaa.org/post/both-sides-defend-solar-divisive-net-metering-bill-advances
141324 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 05 Apr 2017 22:05:44 +0000As Both Sides Defend Solar, Divisive Net Metering Bill AdvancesAnnie RopeikEDITORS NOTE: Since this story was published, federal officials have said that West Calumet families with nowhere else to go will now have until Monday, April 3, to appeal their temporary housing assignments before theyre forced to move. This story has been updated to reflect this change, and well keep following the situation as it develops. Monday is the last day for families in East Chicagos lead-contaminated public housing complex to file grievances about their emergency housing assignments. After that, they have to move or be moved despite strenuous opposition from residents and lawyers. Keeshea Daniels last days at West Calumet Housing Complex havent been easy. Last week, between apartment-hunting and driving her kids all around the state, she started feeling itchy. I thought I might have had an allergic reaction or something. Oh, no, I have shingles again for the fifth time since October,” she says. “So I really couldnt rest while I was in Indianapolis because I knew somethingEast Chicago Residents Lament Impacts Of Moving Deadlinehttp://wbaa.org/post/east-chicago-residents-lament-impacts-moving-deadline
140510 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 29 Mar 2017 20:47:28 +0000East Chicago Residents Lament Impacts Of Moving DeadlineAnnamarie MarinoOfficials say the black bear last spotted in July appears to be out of hibernation and roaming Indiana again. Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge officials spotted the bear last week. They say he’s still in the area near Jefferson, Jennings and Ripley counties. Refuge Manager Joe Robb says the bear likely swam across the Ohio River from Kentucky last year. “The bear is probably out of hibernation now, out from its slumber trying to get something to eat and looking for food that’s available,” he says. Taylor Rasmussen, a mammologist from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, says humans are not allowed the harm the bear.The young black bear has acted shy, running away when it sees humans. Robb says the bear is likely a young male and says he is not looking for confrontation. “As of right now in the state, black bears are listed as an exotic mammal which means they do have protection in the state, Rasmussen says. “So the black bear cannot be harmed unless it is destroying eitherIndiana Black Bear Awakes From Hibernationhttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-black-bear-awakes-hibernation
140267 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 27 Mar 2017 19:59:56 +0000Indiana Black Bear Awakes From HibernationNick JanzenA bill that would change net metering for solar energy production got its first hearing before a House committee Wednesday, continuing to draw debate from a wide range of stakeholders. The House Utilities committee worked through lunch to hear 6 hours of testimony from 60 individuals on Senate Bill 309 . Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Buck Creek), who authored the bill, says there’s been a lot of misinformation around it. “The primary focus of the opposition has been on the issue of solar power, and yet the bill itself does a variety of other things,” Hershman says. The bill also helps businesses increase energy efficiency and promotes biomass energy production from animal or bacterial waste. But the majority of people who testified, both for and against, did focus on the bill’s net metering provisions. Kerwin Olson, director of the Citizens Action Coalition, says the state’s current net metering policies should remain in place and the bill is bad for Hoosiers. “This bill is anti-freeNet Metering Bill Changed After Long Debate, But Still Movinghttp://wbaa.org/post/net-metering-bill-changed-after-long-debate-still-moving
139883 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 22 Mar 2017 20:38:57 +0000Net Metering Bill Changed After Long Debate, But Still MovingThe Environmental Protection Agency will get more money from more sources to clean up some of the most contaminated homes in East Chicago, Indiana. The agencys new administrative settlement, announced Monday, adds a new company to those responsible for funding the cleanup. The new company is the U.S. Metals Refining Company. It joins DuPont and its sister company, Chemours, plus BP subsidiary Atlantic Richfield, as the “Potentially Responsible Parties” funding cleanup in the EPAs USS Lead Superfund site. The new settlement, which an attorney working in East Chicago provided to Indiana Public Broadcasting, outlines $9.5 million in initial payments required of those companies. But the EPA says in a press release that the work involved in the settlement will cost around $16 million. Thats on top of $26 million for longer-term cleanup efforts, secured in a 2014 court agreement with Dupont and Atlantic Richfield. The new funds, on the other hand, are for short-term work – cleanup at the 72EPA Gets First Cleanup Funds For Zone 2 Of East Chicago Superfundhttp://wbaa.org/post/epa-gets-first-cleanup-funds-zone-2-east-chicago-superfund
139705 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 21 Mar 2017 19:03:19 +0000EPA Gets First Cleanup Funds For Zone 2 Of East Chicago SuperfundNick JanzenLead contamination has been making headlines lately: in East Chicago, Indiana, or South Bend or Bloomington. Many towns across Indiana are grappling with lead contamination, and dozens have aging, lead-based water infrastructure. But how does a town know if it has a lead problem? David Konisky, a professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University, says there’s not one single process. “Sometimes they’re brought to attention by citizens, who happen to know something about the history of the site,” Konisky says. “Often times when land is being considered for redevelopment or transfer, things emerge in that context. Sometimes the EPA may come across information.” He says it’s pretty haphazard. South Bend is currently dealing with elevated blood lead levels in children. André Gingerich Stoner, a community organizer, says the problem is concentrated in the city’s Near Northwest neighborhood. “It includes census tract 6, which is an area that has one the highest levels of,Towns Face Obstacles Dealing With, Then Fixing Lead Contaminationhttp://wbaa.org/post/towns-face-obstacles-dealing-then-fixing-lead-contamination
139182 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 13 Mar 2017 10:00:00 +0000Towns Face Obstacles Dealing With, Then Fixing Lead ContaminationNick JanzenA team led by professors at Purdue University is wrapping up a six-year project with Midwestern corn farmers to help them adapt to climate change. Useful to Useable was a $5 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Linda Prokopy, a professor of Natural Resources Social Sciences at Purdue University, says the aim wasn’t only to help farmers. “My motivation was to really figure out how we can help farmers help themselves and help the land and help the water by having better access to information,” Prokopy says. For example, more information might help farmers fare better through a drought. Prokopy says the project popularized a tool that allows farmers to get climate and weather data based on when they plant their corn. Researchers also had to figure out who could best relay climate information. “A farmer isn’t going to sit and listen to me about the science of climate,” says Prokopy. “But they might sit at the coffee table and talk to a crop advisor, who’s veryPurdue-led Project Helps Farmers Adapt To Climate Changehttp://wbaa.org/post/purdue-led-project-helps-farmers-adapt-climate-change
139177 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 13 Mar 2017 09:46:00 +0000Purdue-led Project Helps Farmers Adapt To Climate Change